Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-05-31
An Exnert Speaks.


We last week called attention, at the re-
quest OF a Norfolk gentleman. TO the article
referred to in the following interesting let
ter from the Virginia Commissioner OF
Agriculture. We were surprised to learn
that we had such q wealth OF fert!lizlng
materials in Virginia and Pennsylvania.
Colonel HARRISON writes:
COMMONWEALTH OF YRGIMA,)
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,
RICHMOND. VA, NAV 30, 1887 }
10 the Editor Of The Dispatch:
In your Thursdays issue (Which did
rot see until Saturday owing TO absence
from the city) you have an article headed
Improving WORKOUT Lands" in which
you make some extracts from report OF
Consul j. =. Potter on Basic Slag" as A
fertilizer. Permit me to say that this Is
calculated TO mislead, being based upon an
erroneous assumption. "The mountains OF
sag and other debris near the great
iron and steel manuf ictories OF Penn
y wanna and Virginia the "huge
piles Of waste" which, Dir. Potter
says, would, il properly manipulated aud
used by the discouraged owner OF worm
out lands, "make his barren fields blossom
like the rose, this Stag Is not worth cart
log out upon the lsnd-in fact, would do
no more coed than the same weight OF
granite spalls or broken glass. The small
percentage Of fertilizing material con.
famed in the ordinary Stag Is 80 insolu6le
as to be utterly yaueless. 1t is the
:. Thomas slag" alone which is useful as
fertilizer, and the remark that "this Is not
patent medicine" is an inapt COMPARE
son. The "basic" Stag, or "phos'
phate sc1rid" meal, which is the
only kind that is valuable, Is by-pro-
duet Of the Thomas.Gilchrist patent pro.
cess for the elimination OF phosphorus from
pIg-iron. About nine years ago MeSsrs.
Thomas a. GilchriSt made an important dis
cOyery by means OF which ores that once
were considered OF no value on account OF
the large quantity OF phosphorus which
they contain can now be worked prohtably.
by their process (Which it would be tedious
to describe at length the phosphorus OF the
IRON is forced TO unite with the basil" ma
tcriil Oime. magnesia, &c.) with which the
converter" Is lined and collects as Stag
on the surface OF the molten iron. Untu
recently this Stag was regarded as worth.
less. but about two years ago was found
IN Germany nlSl, L DthtNt'l W Dr IiOh III
phosphate Of lime, and OIL trial proved to
be very valuable as a fertilizer. Thence
the use Of il has spread to France and Eng
land; and now il Is said that 100000 tons
are produced annually in the llst-nImed
country. | believe the "basic process"
has never been introduced into the United
State, and the "Thomis scOrid" phoS.
phate meal has not been imported until the
present year. A sample OF 1t, procured
from the importer, has been analysed by
Or. Gascoype, chemist OF this department,
and at my suggestion two OF our prominent
farmers-One IN Prince George and the
other in Prince Edward-are trying it.
The meal is tine dry powder, well adapt
cd for drilling.
1t NAV result from the extended applicl-
ton OF the basic process that the " bi pro-
duct" seld as fertilizer will 90 so far TO-
" ards paying the expense OF making iron
that ores highly charged with phosphorus
sill become more valuable than the pure
Bessemer ores pow much soaght attor.
Respectfully yours.
RANDOLPH HARRISON,
CommiaSlonpr of Agriculture,